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PE.com | Inland Southern California | Inland News
From silent movies to deaf comedy, Deaf Awareness Week offers the public a sampling of deaf culture in Riverside.
The weeklong event already under way is meant to bring together the deaf and hearing cultures, and to enlighten and educate the Inland community on deaf culture, said Zibby Bayarsky, regional director for the Center On Deafness - Inland Empire.
Riverside's deaf community, anchored by California School for the Deaf, Riverside, one of two state public deaf schools, often goes unnoticed in the hearing community, Bayarsky said
"There's people I meet every day who have never met a deaf person," Bayarsky said.
California School for the Deaf will offer tours today, giving the public a glimpse of deaf student life amid the vast lawns of the state school that serves Southern California.
"People don't realize what a precious jewel we have in the middle of Riverside," said spokeswoman Laurie Pietro.
Keith Wann, a hearing comedian, will highlight the humorous aspects of life growing up in a deaf household in his Evening of Laughs show.
Thursday night, the school will show the movie "Forget Me Not," a newly released film in which actors communicate using American Sign Language.
Free sign language classes are offered all week during lunchtime at City Hall.
Bayarsky, who will teach the classes, said she hopes people will learn sign language "just enough so that when they come across a deaf person, they'll feel a lot more comfortable."
Having the two cultures be more comfortable with each other is a large goal with Deaf Awareness Week, Bayarsky said.
Too often the two cultures don't interact, as fear of the other keeps them separated, she said.
"It would be nice, if we could go into any restaurant, movie theater and doctor's office and have fewer people say, 'I'm so sorry you're deaf,' " said Bayarsky, who is hearing but has deaf parents and deaf children.
The week will culminate Friday at Riverside Plaza with an entertainment and awards ceremony, which will include sign language story telling.
The Model Deaf Community Committee of Riverside, which sponsored and organized the weeklong event, will give an award to a selected business that, "we feel is working hard to make a difference in the deaf community," Bayarsky said.
Last year, Regal Cinemas received the award for showing daily movies with closed captioning, she said.
From silent movies to deaf comedy, Deaf Awareness Week offers the public a sampling of deaf culture in Riverside.
The weeklong event already under way is meant to bring together the deaf and hearing cultures, and to enlighten and educate the Inland community on deaf culture, said Zibby Bayarsky, regional director for the Center On Deafness - Inland Empire.
Riverside's deaf community, anchored by California School for the Deaf, Riverside, one of two state public deaf schools, often goes unnoticed in the hearing community, Bayarsky said
"There's people I meet every day who have never met a deaf person," Bayarsky said.
California School for the Deaf will offer tours today, giving the public a glimpse of deaf student life amid the vast lawns of the state school that serves Southern California.
"People don't realize what a precious jewel we have in the middle of Riverside," said spokeswoman Laurie Pietro.
Keith Wann, a hearing comedian, will highlight the humorous aspects of life growing up in a deaf household in his Evening of Laughs show.
Thursday night, the school will show the movie "Forget Me Not," a newly released film in which actors communicate using American Sign Language.
Free sign language classes are offered all week during lunchtime at City Hall.
Bayarsky, who will teach the classes, said she hopes people will learn sign language "just enough so that when they come across a deaf person, they'll feel a lot more comfortable."
Having the two cultures be more comfortable with each other is a large goal with Deaf Awareness Week, Bayarsky said.
Too often the two cultures don't interact, as fear of the other keeps them separated, she said.
"It would be nice, if we could go into any restaurant, movie theater and doctor's office and have fewer people say, 'I'm so sorry you're deaf,' " said Bayarsky, who is hearing but has deaf parents and deaf children.
The week will culminate Friday at Riverside Plaza with an entertainment and awards ceremony, which will include sign language story telling.
The Model Deaf Community Committee of Riverside, which sponsored and organized the weeklong event, will give an award to a selected business that, "we feel is working hard to make a difference in the deaf community," Bayarsky said.
Last year, Regal Cinemas received the award for showing daily movies with closed captioning, she said.